How to Avoid Turf War with Hawaii's Nene
by Carolyn Lucas
West Hawaii Today
clucas@westhawaiitoday.com
Sunday, December 3, 2006 10:13 AM HST
Sitting on the slopes of Mauna Kea, about 2,000 feet
above the Pacific Ocean, lies the Big Island Country Club - a 7,034-yard
course of undulating fairways, challenging greens, sweeping bunkers, mirror
lakes and panoramic views.
Here, birdies are rare. Birds are not.
Over the years, this pristine golf course has become a haven for Hawaii's state bird, the nene.
Scores of these regal birds can be spotted lazing and grazing on the fairways. The nene are like extended family members to the golfers and employees, who are quick to give even the smallest details of the birds' lives: what they eat, where they live and with whom they hang out.
"We're like their proud aunties and uncles," said Noa Galdeira, director of golf for the country club. "It's a win-win situation for us because we enjoy having the nene here and people come just to view them. But not all of our visitors know about this native wildlife or their importance, so education is key."
The nene breeding season lasts until June. Their down-lined nests are usually well concealed under bushes and in the same areas year after year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Often unknowingly, humans disturb nesting nene. By entering a nene's territory, they can provoke a gander's defensive attack, evoke its moo-like call, make a goose leave her eggs or cause goslings to expend time and energy fleeing and hiding when they should be eating.
The nene is often disregarded and mistaken as the Canada Goose, to which it does have a similar appearance. However, the nene can be distinguished by its buff-colored neck with dark bars, heavily barred wings and body pattern, as well as partially webbed black feet that enable it to walk more easily on rugged lava.
Science teachers Jessica Schwarz, of West Hawaii Explorations Academy, and Lily Edmon, of Waimea Middle School, are conducting human impact research on the nene, which takes residence on local golf courses. Their goal is to increase awareness about the nene and its nesting season, prevent disturbance and conflicts and stress the importance of respecting nene habitats and space while on the golf courses.
Schwarz and Edmon are part of the Research Experience for Teachers program. Funded by the National Science Foundation and the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the program supports the active involvement of teachers in engineering research, which will bring the knowledge of engineering and technological innovation into their classrooms. To date, only five Big Island teachers have been selected.
More than 100 students from WHEA and Waimea Middle will design educational
brochures, produce Web sites, create signage, conduct surveys, give presentations
to community groups and possibly help tag nene.
"Middle school kids are idealistic. You give them a cause and they just run with it," Schwarz said. "This project has a real-world component because it takes place where the students live. It will definitely instill a sense of ownership, maybe even inspire future nene biologists."
Meanwhile, the teachers will oversee the projects, develop science lessons and introduce their students to the numerous career opportunities available. The project is expected to be completed by the end of February.
Mentors include Hawaii Wildlife Center president Linda Elliot and wildlife biologists John Polhemus and Miles Nakahara, both from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
The trio wants to encourage local organizations to adopt populations to monitor, especially with human and wildlife habitats overlapping more frequently these days. They also have talked about developing a nene-specific hotline to report sightings, injuries and violations. Currently, the public can call the Division of Forestry and Wildlife at 887-6063 or 587-0166.
Saturday morning, the mentors taught Schwarz and Edmon how to conduct nene surveys responsibly.
Polhemus explained the importance of recording the bans attached to the nene. This acts as a roll call, allowing biologists to monitor the population and see who is nesting with whom, he said.
Nene are among the "most isolated, sedentary and threatened of waterfowl," according to The Birds of North America, a comprehensive online reference by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Ornithologists' Union.
Once numbered in the tens of thousands, nene were widely distributed throughout the main Hawaiian Islands. Some have estimated the geese to number 25,000 prior to Western contact. By the 1950s, the population dwindled to 30 birds on the Big Island, mostly because of habitat loss to human encroachment, hunting and the introduction of predators such as the mongoose, Elliot said.
The nene was listed as endangered in 1967 under the Federal Endangered Species Act. A captive nene breeding program was later established.
"In the 1970s, you would spend all day in the field and you feel lucky to find a pair," Nakahara said.
During the 1990s, birds were reintroduced on Hualalai. The nene soon migrated to Puuwaawaa and Puuanahulu, Nakahara said.
The Big Island Country Club is considered a somewhat optimal refuge for
the nene, which uses the course's water hazards as escape covers from predators
and enjoys the grass, which is always the right height, Nakahara said.
To help protect the geese, the golf course also does predator trapping. Every Thursday, $5 is subtracted from the green fees and donated to the Hawaii Wildlife Center.
When built, the center will be the first of its kind dedicated to the care and conservation of endangered and threatened wildlife throughout the state. However, $1.1 million must be raised for a minimal facility, consisting of an animal hospital, education building, rehabilitation units and fencing.
The nene's highly specific diet consists of seeds of grasses, herbs, leaves, buds, flowers and fruits of various plants. Biologists stressed the importance of not feeding the nene, which is illegal and considered an attempt to domesticate as well as a form of harassment.
Today, Polhemus estimated about 1,200 nene are alive statewide. Of that, 400 live on the Big Island and 75 are in West Hawaii.
"Historically, the nene were in the area," Elliot said. "This project documents their expansion as well as welcomes the species back into their habitat."
For more information about the nene project, contact Jessica Schwarz of West Hawaii Explorations Academy at 327-4751 or Lily Edmon of Waimea Middle School at 887-6090 ext. 273.